Blessing in Disguise

Chapter Fourty

Y/N

1/14/2021

Y/N sat curled up on his bed, knees pulled tightly to his chest as tears pricked the corners of his eyes. The room was dark, shadows stretching across the walls, but he barely noticed; he was too wrapped up in the whirlwind of thoughts that had been consuming him.

The day had started out like any other, but Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that something was off when Yunjin had texted him, asking him to come over because she had something important to tell him. They had been talking about their weekend plans that morning, so the request felt out of the blue. She'd said nothing more, and he couldn't help but feel a hint of nervousness creeping into his mind as he drove over to her house, his thoughts a tangled mess of curiosity and concern.

When he arrived, Yunjin had led him to her room, her expression unreadable as she motioned for him to sit down on the bed. She seemed quieter than usual, her fingers fiddling with the edges of his hoodie, her gaze drifting to the floor before she finally looked up and met his eyes. She took a breath, as if gathering her strength.

"I... I got a call from Source Music last week," she began, her voice a mix of excitement and hesitation. "They offered me a spot in their new group, and... I accepted it. I'm going back to Korea."

Her words hung in the air, each one hitting him like a punch to the chest. A call from Source Music? A spot in their new group? And she'd already accepted it?

The silence stretched between them, thick with his confusion and a growing sense of betrayal. "Last week?" he finally managed, his voice soft with disbelief. "You made this decision last week, and you're only telling me now?"

Yunjin bit her lip, her gaze steady but a little wary. "I needed to make this decision alone, Y/N," she explained, her voice firm but gentle. "I didn't want anyone's opinion clouding my thoughts. I had to know if this was something I really wanted."

A part of him understood her reasoning, but the sting of being kept in the dark, of not being part of a decision that would change both of their lives, was too strong to ignore. He felt as though a wall had been put up between them, one he hadn't even realized was there until this moment. "So, you're just... leaving?" he asked, struggling to keep the hurt from his voice. "You're going back, and you didn't think I deserved to know?"

Her expression softened, a flicker of regret crossing her face. "I didn't want to keep it from you, but... I also didn't want you to try to stop me. This is something I need to do for myself, Y/N. I don't want to look back one day and wonder 'what if.'"

He swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest as her words sank in. The plans they'd made, the life they'd envisioned together—all of it felt like it was slipping away, like sand slipping through his fingers. "You think I would try to stop you?" he asked, his voice tight with the hurt he couldn't hide. "I just wanted to know, to be there for you."

She sighed, looking away. "It's not that, it's just... I didn't want anyone holding me back, not even you."

Something inside him broke at those words. Holding her back? Was that what she thought of him? He'd done everything he could to support her, to stand by her through every dream and setback, and now she was telling him he was a weight she didn't need. "So, what am I supposed to do?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just let you go without saying anything? Without..."

She looked up, her eyes hardening with determination. "Yes, Y/N. I need you to trust me on this. I need you to let me go and not try to hold me back."

His frustration and sadness boiled over, the fear and confusion twisting into something sharp and painful. "Do you even remember what it was like, Jen?" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of anger and desperation. "You came back shattered, barely able to look at yourself in the mirror. I saw you go through that, and now you're just... jumping back in, like none of it mattered?"

Her face hardened, a stubborn glint in her eyes. "I know what I went through, Y/N. I remember every single part of it. But that doesn't mean I should give up. This is my dream, and I'm willing to fight for it. I don't need you to protect me from it."

He felt a hollow ache in his chest, her words hitting deeper than he wanted to admit. "I thought that was what we did for each other," he said quietly, his voice barely holding back the sadness that threatened to overwhelm him. "I thought... I thought we'd face things together. I made a promise to you, Jen, that I'd protect you, that I'd be there for you."

Her expression twisted, a flash of anger crossing her face. "I didn't ask you to, Y/N," she shot back, her voice sharp. "You chose that for yourself. You keep acting like I can't handle myself, like I need you to shield me from the world. But I don't need that—I'm not some fragile thing you need to fix."

He stared at her, stunned, his heart shattering with each word. "Is that really what you think? That I'm trying to 'fix' you?" His voice was barely a whisper, laced with disbelief.

She closed her eyes, clearly frustrated, her own voice trembling with emotion. "Maybe I never wanted you to be there for me, Y/N. Maybe I never wanted you to make those promises. You're acting so... overly attached, like you can't just let me do this on my own."

The silence that followed was thick, an aching emptiness filling the space between them. Her words cut through him, leaving him feeling exposed, vulnerable, and utterly alone. He'd been there for her, every step of the way, supporting her in every high and low, and now it felt like she was rejecting everything they'd built together.

"You know what?" he whispered, his voice barely holding back the sadness. "If you don't need me, then maybe... maybe I should just let you go."

A flicker of regret crossed her face, but her determination didn't waver. "Maybe that's for the best," she said, her tone steady, though he could see the faint glimmer of hurt in her eyes.

He wanted to say more, to tell her how much she meant to him, to beg her to reconsider, but he knew it was pointless. She'd made up her mind, and there was nothing he could do to change it. He nodded, his heart breaking as he turned to leave, each step feeling like a weight pressing down on his chest.

As he walked out of her house, he could feel the tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, a deep ache settling in his chest. This wasn't how he'd imagined their story ending, and the pain of that realization hit him like a punch to the gut.

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A/N: Since I honestly can't decide if I should end the story here, please let me know what you think. I'm really torn between letting it end on a sad ending like this or giving the story a cute and sweet ending. Please lmk in the comments!